The Last Hurrah (1977)

The Last Hurrah is a 1977 American television drama film directed by Vincent Sherman which aired on November 16, 1977 on the NBC network.

It is a remake of the 1958 film of the same name.

Plot

Big city mayor Frank Skeffington runs a powerful political machine as he seeks a fourth term as mayor, but faces many obstacles along the way.

Cast

• Carroll O'Connor as Frank Skeffington
• Patrick O'Neal as Norman Cass
• Dana Andrews as Roger Shanley
• Mariette Hartley as Clare Gardiner
• Jack Carter as Sam Weinberg
• Burgess Meredith as Cardinal Burke

Critical Reception

The New York Times said that Carroll O'Connor's "script and performance have retained much of the story's Irish sentimentality—the kind that verges on wicked fraud, but lose the outrageous spirit that made Skeffington an irresistible character."

They concluded the review with: "After playing Archie Bunker for six years, the actor seems to be overcompensating in the opposite direction of tasteful respectability. The result may often be intelligent, but is also distressingly lifeless."